A Dangerous Game
by ZombieReader74
Summary: A Ghoul gets caught up in something way larger than himself
**A Dangerous Game**

James sat on the ground and stoked the fire. He listened to the night around him and half expected to hear birds, but he dismissed the thought. Only birds around here were crows and vultures. James laid back onto the ground and looked into the sky, admiring the stars above him. He remembered the time before the Great War, when space was not so far away. He remembered his boyhood outside Las Vegas. Those were good times, living the idyllic American lifestyle, picket fence and all. He missed those days, more than anything he wanted to return to them. He began to tear up when he remembered that that was not going to happen. The world had changed and there was no way it was going back. He heard a coyote howl in the distance and reached for his .44 in his old backpack. He rose it into the air at a slight angle and fired one shot into the air before putting the gun back into his pack. That should scare them off for now. James turned his head and looked from the sky to the ground in the distance, to the glow of New Vegas. He wished to go there and see what all the fuss was about, but he kept putting it off. He had an NCR passport and all his affairs in order, but he still knew he wouldn't be welcome. Ghouls were kept at an arm's length from the smoothskins.

As he began to drift off to sleep a bullet slammed into the ground near his left arm. James rolled onto his stomach and looked over to find his bag a few feet away.

" _Wrong way dumbfuck. Note to self, practice that whole rolling thing if you get outta this._ " he told himself

James began to move toward the backpack when the light of the fire illuminated a man standing over the pack. He put his foot on the pack and slid it over to James with a quick kick. It came to rest near James and he reached in and grabbed his .44 before pointing it at the man. Then the man spoke and James realized it was instead a woman.

"James Stevenson?" she asked. James shot up to his feet and nodded.

"Uh, yeah. Im James Stevenson madam." James said.

"Cut the crap Mr Wrinkles. You're coming with me." the woman responded with a bitter voice.

"Okay, first of all ow. While I may not look like it I still have feelings and they were hurt. Also, what did I do?" James asked.

"You are being detained in connection with the murder of Col Louis James." the woman said

"Why? I don't know anything about a Col Louis." James said

"Not my problem. I'm here to take you in for questioning and if you run i'll have my boys here take you out." the woman said motioning to a growing number of dark figures approaching from all around.

"Well, shit. Fine...I guess. Lead the way." James said.

"Alright. We will be taking you to Camp Mccarran for questioning by Col Hsu…" The woman began

"Oh, I remember when that was an airport. I never flew on a plane before the bombs fell but from what I heard…" James started but the woman cut her off

"Shut up, come on." the woman said before turning to leave. They walked for a few hundred feet before James spoke again.

"Uh lady, can I have your name?" James asked.

"Ranger Stephanie Bishop, NCR Rangers. People call me Steph, you should to." Steph said.

"Wait...Bishop? Like...like the New Reno Bishops?" James asked. "I went to New Reno a few years ago. Place's a shitstain of a city, that Chosen One did that city no favors. That's where Jet came from ya know. When I was there that drug had already taken over the city and wreaked havoc. I took some, didn't fancy it. Tasted like the brahmin shit used to make it. I did fancy that rocket shit though. Just mix some jet with Nuka-Cola and your on your way to happiness my friend." James said.

"Do you ever shut up? And yes, my father was from the Bishop family in Reno. He left Reno after mom got killed over 15 caps. Didn't want me to turn out like her so he took me to Camp Mccarran." Steph said.

"Oh, shit. Sorry about your moms. Mine survived the War amazingly, but she killed herself after seeing what I turned into. Also knowing that all her family and friends were dead. That probably helped some to." James said.

"Jesus Christ." one of the other Rangers said.

"I know right? She jumped into a nuclear crater and died in like what, five minutes? I don't know exactly. It was over a hundred years ago pretty soon here." James said.

"James, seriously. Do you ever shut your goddamn mouth?" Steph asked without turning.

"Uh, no...well I do. Just when I am in the presence of friends." James said

Steph scoffed as the group approached the New Vegas outskirts. The buildings were all burned out and dilapidated. James actually had vague memories about what some of them were, hardware stores and the like. Hell, he remembered one being a strip joint called Beef. Yeah, weird name for a strip joint but hey, to each their own. The Rangers escorting him stopped and so did Steph. She turned to face him and removed her face mask. She was a young woman, about 25 or so with platinum blonde hair. Her eyes were blue like the daytime sky and her skin looked flawless. She was the most gorgeous woman James had ever seen.

"Okay James, I've been lying to you. About who I am. I am Steph and all that shit about dad was true, but i'm no Ranger." Steph said

"Oh. Well fuck, why am I here then?" James asked.

"You are here to help me take back Reno for the Bishops." Steph said.

"Wait, what." James said in surprise.

"Me and my associates are either Bishops themselves or hired by my father to help him in an certain task." Steph said.

"To conquer New Reno?" James asked

"Yes. My father, in return for a handsome paycheck from the NCR, is going to seize control of New Reno and reform it. Turn it into something much like New Vegas." Steph said.

"This is New Reno we're talking about right? The city voted "Worst in the West" for 200 years straight. That New Reno right?" James exclaimed.

"Yes." Steph said

"And you want us...US..to take it over." James said stepping closer to Steph.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Steph asked.

"Uhhh. Yes, I quite like living." James said.

"And you will like it a lot more when you get your paycheck." Steph said with a smirk.

"..How much are we talking here?" James asked, calming down some.

"15,000 caps." Steph said as her smirk turned into a smile

"Fifteen...fif...holy shit." James said, taking a step back. Fifteen thousand caps. That was more caps than he would have ever seen in his life. He could do so much with 15k. James smiled and just held back jumping for joy.

"So if we are going to Reno, why are we here?" James asked, motioning to the ruins around them.

"I knew you'd come around. Anyway, we are going to New Vegas to get some weapons and such to prepare for the attack." Steph said.

"Well one more question. Why me?" James asked "There are so many people more qualified to launch an attack on...anything. Why choose me?" James continued.

"Because we know what you did in the Boneyard." Steph said before continuing to walk. James looked to begin to retort, but thought better of it. Some things are better left unsaid.


End file.
